When it comes to car cleaning, there are generally three types of people, those who pay someone else to do it for them, those who do a quick job themselves at home using any old car cleaning products, and then there’s those who spend hours cleaning the inside and outside of their car, ensuring that once they’ve finished it is in immaculate condition.

If you fall into the first two groups, moving into the third category need not to be an expensive ask, thanks to the help of the team at BuySpares – as we’ve compiled this handy nine step guide to cleaning your car, complete with nine great products to use.

The Exterior:

First impressions count, and the exterior of your car is often the first impressions people have of you as you turn up somewhere, so it is important to ensure that the outside of your car is clean.

To achieve a perfectly clean exterior to your car, there are a number of steps which you’ll need to take, and although it can be time consuming, the end results will be worth it.

Step 1: Rinse:

Remove the top layer of dirt on your car by rinsing it using warm water without any cleaning products, and when doing this make sure to start from the top and work downwards, as this will prevent dirt water running down areas which you’ve already begun to clean.

If possible, use a pressure washer as this will make the removal of dirt and grime which has built up on the outside of your vehicle; and don’t forget to tackle the tyres too.

Step 2: Remove Insect Stains:

If your number plate or bonnet is splattered with insects and bugs, the easiest way to remove these is to invest in a specialist, high-performance cleaning spray, such as the acid-free, biodegradable formula Karcher Insect Remover.

The remover gently removes insect stains from your paintwork, windows and plastics with relative ease, whilst ensuring that your paintwork remains intact.

Step 3: Wash:

Now you’ve tackled the first layer of dirt and removed the insect stains, it is now time to give your car’s exterior the wash it deserves.

Use a pressure washer and  Bosch Qualcast Atco Suffolk Car Cleaner, which has a powerful blend of detergents, to easily remove everyday dirt and grime which has built up on your car, to achieve a streak free finish.

Remember, as mentioned in step one, when washing your car start from the top and work your way down to ensure that dirt water doesn’t run down the areas you have cleaned. It is also a good idea to check your car cleaning sponge to make sure that it doesn’t have any defects, as a small stone or gravel caught in the sponge can result in small scratches appearing on the paintwork.

With the paintwork and windows cleaned, turn your attention to the wheels, as these are bear the brunt of most of the dirt, whilst your alloys are also likely to be covered in a coating of brake-dust.

To leave these sparkling again, use the fast acting alloy wheel cleaner.

Step 4: Rinse and Dry:

Car cleaned using car shampoo it’s time to rinse any remaining residue. The best way to do this is to take the pressure washer back to your car, although if this isn’t possible, a few buckets of warm water poured over the car will do the job.

Before the car has a chance to dry naturally, which can lead to smears and streaks, you need to make sure that you clean your car using the appropriate material.

Did You Know: Did you know that to clean your car you should not use chamois leather, as the make-up of chamois leather makes it easy for small particles getting stuck between the chamois and the paintwork.

To clean your car without running the risk of small scratches appearing, you should consider using Ramon Micro-fibre cloths, which remove access water and leave a streak-free finish.

Step 5: Wax:

With your car now clean and dry, it’s time to protect the paintwork, whilst achieving the showroom sparkle, by applying wax to the car and buffering it off.

The best way to achieve the showroom look to your car is to add a thin coat of wax, or to use an all in one cleaning product when cleaning the exterior of your car, such as the Kärcher Wash & Wax Car Shampoo.

Now that your cars exterior is shining away in the sun, it is time to turn your attention to the interior of your vehicle, and as with the exterior, this should be done in stages to achieve the perfect finish.

The Interior:

Step 6: Vacuum:

You’ll be amazed at the build up of dirt within the inside of your car, from the boot and back seats, to the footwells at the front, and the best way to remove such dirt – whether it be the build up of grit, dog hairs or mud from the kids football boots, is to vacuum your car.

The Dyson Car Cleaning Kit makes this job easy and quick, with various accessories available to tackle all aspects of dirt within your car, such as a turbine head which is ideal for removing pet hair from seats, and the flexi crevice tool which enables you to reach those awkward gaps between seats.

Step 7: Clean the Upholstery:

The upholstery of your car takes a lot of wear and tear, whilst it can also harbour dirt, especially if you’re prone to eating in your car.

Remove the build up of this dirt, whether it is grease, dust or food stains, with a micro-fibre cloth, which require no soap or detergent, yet still clean your upholstery to leave it looking like new.

Step 8: Windows:

Whilst cleaning the outside of your car, you’ll have no doubt spent time ensuring your windows are clean and streak free, and the inside of your windows should be no different.

Using a specialist, fast-acting, all-purpose glass cleaner, which offers a static free finish, combined with a non-smear formula, such as the Bond It Glass Cleaner, will help to ensure the build up of sticky finger prints, dog slobber and other dirt is easily removed from your windows – leaving them sparkling inside and out.

Step 9: The Dashboard:

By now, the interior of your car should almost be sparkling like the outside and all that is left is to tackle the build up of dust on your dashboard.

Carpet and upholstery wipes offer a one-step cleaning solution to tackle your dashboard, by cleaning away dust and dirt, leaving a perfect shine and protecting from UV damage, which can often leave the plastic looking worn and dated.

With each of these nine steps followed, and the right car cleaning products used, your car can once again have the showroom look for a fraction of the cost of having your car professionally cleaned – and who knows, you may even enjoy taking the time to clean, polish and shine your car.

Tags: Car Cleaning Products, Karcher Car Shampoo, Karcher Insect Remover